Rachel Zoe evolved from celebrity styling after having too many negative experiences with assistants over the years.
The freshman year Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star told PEOPLE why she left styling 12 years ago.
Burned:
“In full disclosure, I just couldn’t trust assistants,” explained Rachel.
“The definition of insanity is when you do the same thing over and over and expect a different outcome.”
“I think after being completely betrayed, for lack of a better term, in various ways, by enough assistants and not being able to trust them with my clients and stuff to represent what I do and how I am with my clients, it just wasn’t worth it anymore.”
High pressure:
Adding another layer of complication, Rachel’s clients felt like “extended family.” However, with extended family members such as Jennifer Garner, Lindsay Lohan, Kate Hudson, Mischa Barton, and Nicole Richie, Rachel felt like “there was no margin for error.”
“I never wanted to let them down, ever,” she says. “But if I have five clients going through an award season, I physically cannot be with all five at the same time. You have to be able to entrust that in people that represent your work, and if you can’t do that, the system is broken.”
Let’s talk about Brad:
Rachel’s ex-assistant, Brad Goreski, left his job with RZ’s brand in 2010 after being featured on her Bravo show The Rachel Zoe Project.
In a 2011 interview with New York magazine’s The Cut, Rachel alleged that Brad “started to pursue our clients, started going to all these events, and doing all the things he said he had “no interest in” within a week of leaving her company. “It’s not the first time I’ve been used,” she said at the time. “I would say it’s going to be the last time, though.”
In October 2024, Rachel revealed that she is still not in contact with Brad. “I just, honestly, I don’t talk to him.”
Rachel Zoe’s brand evolution:
Since stepping away from styling, RZ has grown her business to almost 50 brand extensions and licensing partners. And, of course, she’s made her way back to Bravo TV.
“I’m very honest about where I am and what I’m dealing with on [RHOBH],” says Zoe, who filed for divorce from Rodger Berman in July. “I think my goal is really to share the reality of my life. And everyone’s going through stuff, right?”
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills airs Thursdays at 8 pm on Bravo. Episodes are available to stream the next day on Peacock.
